This text presents information on respiratory conditions in a succinct manner, beginning with an overview of the historical context of respiratory nursing and moving on to discuss anatomy and physiology, epidemiology, exercise, nutrition and pulmonary rehabilitation.

The renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) is associated with diverse physiological responses and adaptations to exercise. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 2 has vasodilatory effects, which might be associated with the blood pressure (BP) responses to acute exercise. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of ACE2 polymorphisms in postexercise hypotension (PEH). Thirty-four medicated hypertensive (61·3 ± 1·7 years, 76·1 ± 2·7 kg, 160 ± 1·6 cm) men (n = 12) and women (n = 22), participated in a control and a moderate intensity exercise session in a randomized order...

OBJECTIVE: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after a drowning episode is performed under fatigue conditions. However, the characterization of CPR in this context is still unknown. Our purpose was to investigate the effect of a 100-m simulated in-water rescue on CPR and physiological parameters in trained certified lifeguards. METHODS: Thirty trained certified lifeguards (age 24.6 ± 3.8 yrs; height 178.2 ± 7.4 cm and weight 76.9 ± 10.6 kg) completed two protocols using an adult manikin: (i) 4-min CPR after 4-min baseline conditions (CPR), and (ii) 4-min CPR after a 100-m simulated in-water rescue in the sea (CPR Rescue), both with a compression-ventilation ratio of 30:2...

Training quantification is basic to evaluate an endurance athlete's responses to the training loads, ensure adequate stress/recovery balance and determine the relationship between training and performance. Quantifying both external and internal workload is important, because the external workload does not measure the biological stress imposed by the exercise sessions. Generally used quantification methods include retrospective questionnaires, diaries, direct observation and physiological monitoring, often based on the measurement of oxygen uptake, heart rate and blood lactate concentration...

More than two decades of studying peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) has led to an understanding of their implications in various physiological processes that are key for health and disease. All three PPAR isotypes, PPARα, PPARβ/δ, and PPARγ, are activated by a variety of molecules, including fatty acids, eicosanoids and phospholipids, and regulate a spectrum of genes involved in development, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, inflammation, and proliferation and differentiation of many cell types in different tissues...

Brain and muscle-ARNT-like factor (Bmal1/BMAL1) is an essential transcriptional/translational factor of circadian clocks. Loss of function of Bmal1/BMAL1 is highly disruptive to physiological and behavioral processes. In light of these previous findings, we examined if transgenic overexpression of Bmal1/BMAL1 in skeletal muscle could alter metabolic processes. First, we characterized in vivo and ex vivo metabolic phenotypes of muscle overexpressed mice (male and female) compared to wild-type littermates (WT)...

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of psychiatric disorders is increasing worldwide, which underscores the importance of increasing research in this field, in terms of better detection, prevention based on improvement of lifestyle and diet, and effectiveness of treatment. Increasing evidence suggest that diet and exercise can affect proper neuronal development and physiology and protect the brain from neurological illnesses or injuries. Of note, cocoa, tea, and coffee are being actively investigated because they are rich in (poly)phenolic compounds that can modulate mental health, namely brain plasticity, behavior, mood, depression, and cognition...

Increasing discharge of industrial wastes into the environment results in pollution transfer towards hydrosystems. These activities release heavy metals such as cadmium, known as persistent pollutant that is accumulated by molluscs and exercise immunotoxicological effects. Among molluscs, the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha constitutes a suitable support for freshwater ecotoxicological studies. In molluscs, homeostasis maintain is ensured in part by hemocytes that are composed of several cell populations involved in multiple physiological processes such as cell-mediated immune response or metal metabolism...

OBJECTIVES: The effects of mind-body exercises on individuals with chronic illnesses have attracted increasing attention. However, little effort had been made to systematically review the effects of these mind-body exercises on individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). This review aimed to appraise the current evidence of the effects of mind-body exercises on the physiological and psychological outcomes for the PD population. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials...

We hypothesized that 4 weeks of dietary nitrate supplementation would enhance exercise performance and muscle metabolic adaptations to sprint interval training (SIT). Thirty six recreationally-active subjects, matched on key variables at baseline, completed a series of exercise tests before and following a 4 week period in which they were allocated to one of the following groups: 1) SIT and NO3(-)-depleted beetroot juice as a placebo (SIT+PL); 2) SIT and NO3(-)-rich beetroot juice (~13mmol NO3(-)/day; SIT+BR); or 3) no training and NO3(-)-rich beetroot juice (NT+BR)...

The notion that prolonged, intense exercise causes an 'open window' of immunodepression during recovery after exercise is well accepted. Repeated exercise bouts or intensified training without sufficient recovery may increase the risk of illness. However, except for salivary IgA, clear and consistent markers of this immunodepression remain elusive. Exercise increases circulating neutrophil and monocyte counts, and reduces circulating lymphocyte count during recovery. This lymphopenia results from preferential egress of lymphocyte subtypes with potent effector functions (e...

University students often struggle to understand the role of water in plant cells. In particular, osmosis and plasmolysis appear to be challenging topics. This study attempted to identify student difficulties (including misconceptions) concerning osmosis and plasmolysis and examined to what extent the difficulties could be revised during a plant physiology course. A questionnaire was developed to monitor university students' conceptual knowledge before and after a course, and both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained...

AIMS: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is known to increase the risk of many diseases. Factors influencing HHcy in healthy and hypertensive subjects remain under-researched. METHODS: A large population-based study was conducted in 60 communities from Shenzhen, China. Responses to standardized questions on lifestyle factors and blood samples were collected from all participants after a 12-h overnight fast. Multiple linear and multivariate logistic regressions were used to explore risk factors for HHcy...

Aging is associated with declining exercise and unhealthy changes in body composition. Exercise ameliorates certain adverse age-related physiological changes and protects against many chronic diseases. Despite these benefits, willingness to exercise and physiological responses to exercise vary widely, and long-term exercise and its benefits are difficult and costly to measure in humans. Furthermore, physiological effects of aging in humans are confounded with changes in lifestyle and environment. We used C57BL/6J mice to examine long-term patterns of exercise during aging and its physiological effects in a well-controlled environment...

The purpose of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in the obese person, as in any cardiopulmonary exercise test, is to determine the patient's exercise tolerance, and to help identify and/or distinguish between the various physiological factors that could contribute to exercise intolerance. Unexplained dyspnoea on exertion is a common reason for CPET, but it is an extremely complex symptom to explain. Sometimes obesity is the simple answer by elimination of other possibilities. Thus, distinguishing among multiple clinical causes for exertional dyspnoea depends on the ability to eliminate possibilities while recognising response patterns that are unique to the obese patient...

During migration, birds substantially increase their metabolic rate and burn fats as fuel and yet somehow avoid succumbing to overwhelming oxidative damage. The physiological means by which vertebrates such as migrating birds can counteract an increased production of reactive species (RS) are rather limited: they can upregulate their endogenous antioxidant system and/or consume dietary antioxidants (prophylactically or therapeutically). Thus, birds can alter different components of their antioxidant system to respond to the demands of long-duration flights, but much remains to be discovered about the complexities of RS production and antioxidant protection throughout migration...

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to determine whether physiological factors and maximal dynamic strength are able to determine the peak treadmill speed (PTS) in physically active individuals. METHODS: One hundred and fifty physically active healthy males voluntarily visit the laboratory on three separate occasions and underwent the following activities: first visit: IPAQ (short version), anthropometric measurements, and a maximal incremental test performed for physiological variables (maximal oxygen uptake ( ) and respiratory compensation point (RCP); second visit: constant speed test for running economy (RE) measurement, and familiarization with the maximum dynamic strength (1RM) test in the leg press exercise; third visit: 1RM test...

The responses of estuarine invertebrates to hypoxic conditions are well established. However, many studies have investigated hypoxia as an isolated condition despite its frequent co-occurrence with hypercapnia (elevated CO2 ). Although many studies suggest deleterious effects, hypercapnia has been observed to improve blue crab walking performance in hypoxia. To investigate the physiological effects of combined hypercapnic hypoxia, we measured Po2 , pH, [l-lactate], Pco2 , and total O2 in pre- and postbranchial hemolymph sampled from blue crabs during walking exercise...

Exertional rhabdomyolysis is characterised by muscle breakdown associated with strenuous exercise or normal exercise under extreme circumstances. Key features are severe muscle pain and sudden transient elevation of serum creatine kinase (CK) levels with or without associated myoglobinuria. Mild cases may remain unnoticed or undiagnosed. Exertional rhabdomyolysis is well described among athletes and military personnel, but may occur in anybody exposed to unaccustomed exercise. In contrast, exertional rhabdomyolysis may be the first manifestation of a genetic muscle disease that lowers the exercise threshold for developing muscle breakdown...